"Equal Affections"

At the same time that I happened to pick up David Leavitt’s novel “The Body of Jonah Boyd,” which I posted about on 6/8/11, I picked up another of his novels, an earlier one titled “Equal Affections” (Perennial, 1989). This story is also -- like most of his work -- about a family: Louise and Nat, their daughter April, and their son Danny. Louise is sick throughout most of the book; she is a loving but difficult wife and mother. Her marriage to Nat is loving but fraught. April is a semi-famous lesbian folksinger. Danny is a gay lawyer whose partner, Walter, is also a lawyer; they have their ups and downs, but overall a great relationship. There are other family members, friends, and lovers featured, but the main focus is always on the relationships among the four original family members. Like most families, they love each other deeply, and take for granted that nothing can break their connection, yet they squabble, offend each other, are sometimes out of touch for a while, then reconcile. Sometimes they are baffled by each other, but there is a warmth among them as well. This story, although lacking the mystery aspect of “Jonah,” is a richer, denser story with a more genuine feel to it. The novel kept me reading, and I enjoyed it. If it turns up in your life, say at a library sale or at a summer cottage, do consider reading it, but I wouldn’t recommend anyone’s going out of her/his way to find it.